Dual Expression of Immunoglobulin Light Chains in Plasma Cell Myeloma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Typically, myeloma cells express a monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig), either heavy or light chain. Here, we present a case of multiple myeloma with clonal dual expression of kappa and lambda light chain in a 74-year-old woman. Awareness of rare biphenotypic myeloma is important for proper diagnostic workup. A 74-year-old woman underwent hip replacement with an incidental finding of 20% plasma cells in the femoral head. Subsequent bone marrow biopsy also showed about 30% of plasma cells negative for CD20, CD56, and CD117. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization studies showed a mixture of kappa and lambda plasma cells. Flow cytometry showed ambiguous results for cytoplasmic Ig light chains kappa and lambda. However, cyclin D1 was highly expressed by plasma cells, and increased free kappa light chains were identified in serum. Further investigation by double IHC demonstrated co-expression of kappa and lambda light chains in the same cells. Fluoresces in situ hybridization studies were positive for t(11;14)(q13;q32) and the deletion 13q. Since its first description by Taylor and Burns in 1974, the demonstration of restricted cytoplasmic Ig light chain expression by immunohistochemistry is 1 of the basic tools for corroborating clonality of the plasma cells in tissue biopsy. IHC results in myeloma with dual expression of Ig light chains may suggest polyclonal plasma cell population, especially when plasma cells do not form sheets in the bone marrow. In an appropriate clinical setting, other investigations are needed to exclude plasma cell neoplasm, even with seemingly "polytypic" results by IHC.